In the 1950s many jazz clubs sprang up around the city, fuelled by the young population.

By the 1960s, the music scene diversified into rock and other genres.

In 2010, the city council voted to change the name from "Århus" to "Aarhus" in order to strengthen the international profile of the city. Certain geographically affiliated names have been updated to reflect the name of the city, such as the Aarhus River, changed from "Århus Å" to "Aarhus Å".

It is still grammatically correct to write geographical names with the letter Å and local councils are allowed to use the Aa spelling as an alternative.

In 2017, Aarhus has been selected as European Capital of Culture along with Paphos in Cyprus.